Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1887-05-19

DEAR Bon: am in trouble of the worst
kind. and write this letter to let you know
the facts in the ease and To Keep you from
being prejudiced by exaggerated reports,
which are sure to he in circulation about
mo. After wrote To you last fall man
told me that il would go up in the noun
tains and guard n pole patch, he would
give me S2J month. was to board my
self but was Ia have the privilege ri cutting
all the wood needed. lie explained that
he had II perfect right To the poles, as he
had carried a big musket for four years,
and had been in Colorado in 1877, and in
lots of other places. lie warned me that
many unprinciped aud desperate ranch
men had longing eyes ON his poles, and adj
vised mo to 60 well armed, but stayed in
the cabin all winter and never saw n soul
until about month ago. As | was cook
/ ing breakfast about 10 o'clock in the morn
ing, saw a man coming down from the
timber with II load of my employers poles.
! belted on my trusty revolver Ia Smith X
Winchester double-cockerl and went right
out and stopped him. lie was n large,
go back aud unload, he seemed lazcd for II
moment, and then losing his presence Of
mind he hit me right in the face with his big
red fists. was so terribly wrought-up and
! knockcd down by his manner that, fearing
should shoot him, and always regret IT,,
I started for Louisville to give myselfup to
the sheriff. You cannot imagine. and my
pen can not portray my feelings as ! sped
down the crcek-so near being "A murderer,
yet thanking heaven that had nobody' =
! blood on my hands but my own.
| As | approached town ] saw n poor
| Texas COW in IA soft snow bank near the
creek, and wishing to place IA humane act
to credit, | assisted her out aud il was
balm to my laceratcd heart to see the look
Of affection in her mild eyes; but her mind
must have been unbalanced by the reports
Of the hard winter in eastern papers, for
no sooner had she got ON her feet than she
charged 1T me and hooked me almost into
the top of thrifty willow, where in safety,
I collected my wits. remembered my
pistol which drew at once and would have
shot her (and considered myself justified
after such display of ingrattude) had
she not attacked the willow in which war
lodged so furioisly that my pistol went "il
accidentally. and every time she strucl,
the willow il would go off. and could not
stop il. could not endure the strain any
longer, aud when saw n crowd oi men ap.
preaching, attracted by my firing, | fell
from my perch into the hmpid stream
which is called the finest water power in
this section. l WAS rescued, however and
taken in charge hy Stern looking man
who informed me- that he arrested mc f"i
killing fish with dynamite, aud in spite 81
my protests and assertions that ! was
merely firing my pistol for fun and did not
intend to kill any fish, he p,it me in th,
! room of "A saloon. as there was NJ room IN
Jail. and went out to inform the grand jury
of my capture. While he was gone mad,
up nay mind To escape, and managed to
crawl out of the window without being
noticed by auy one outside. and 10y morn
ing Of the next day was lar enough from
the place Ia feel safe. | had ordered "a pain
Of Angora goat skin ehapare,os. with In,
hair off, and will write 10 the express agent
to forward them to YOU. aud hope you
will keep them to remember me by, for you
| may never hear from me again
Yours, in trouble,
toMLI.ATELN.